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(Model.) E. G. A LDRICH` Patented Apr. `11, 1882'.

Pigna Figui v VWTNESSEB' Nrrun States IARVEY C. ALDRICH, OF NORWICH,CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNCR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OFELEVEN-TIVELFTHS 'IO VM; II. BABCOCK, OF SAME PLACE, CECI-{Gli} H.ALDRICI-I AND RICHARD V. I). VOOI), BOTH OF ORANGETONVAN, AND HENRY C.TOWNSEJD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 256,263, dated April.11, 1882,

i Application filed February-2,1881. (Medel.)

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, HARVEY C. ALDRICH, acitizen ot` the United States, residing at Norwich, in the county ot'New London and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Locks, of which the followingis a specitication.

The general object of my invention is to'improve the simplicity andcheapness of locks, ro and at the same time to niake'it possible toconstruct a lock with very few pieces that shall` be as secure frompicking and tampering with as more complicated locksemployinga multi-Hpli'city of tumblers and internal parts.

My invention relates more particularly to the cons-truction of a tumblerand the manner in whichit is made to operate in conjunction with theother parts ot' the lock. Instead of employing a number of separatetumblers, as

zo has heretofore been found necessary in order to give a reasonabledegree of security to the lock, I make use of what may be termed asingle7 tumbler, provided with one or more locking or (logging points,so disposed that 2 5 the key,when inserted in the lock to act upon thetumbler or part with which itis connected and with which it moves,propels the same or imparts a positive movement thereto in a directionto cause the one or more lugs, pins, or 3o projections upon the tumblerto pass one or more notches, slots, perforatons, or recesses in the keyitself. The tumbler may lock, de# tain, or control the movements of thelock mechanism in any desirable manner, so that, nnless the key neproperly notched, slotted, perforated, or recessed to correspond withthe one or more dogs, lugs, or projections upon the tumbler, the saiddogs, lugs, or projections upon the tumbler will be forced :into contact4o with the key by the movement of the latter, and be thus preventedfrom completing the movement necessary to unlock the parts.

Having now described the general principles -of my invention, I willproceed to describe some ot' the ways in which it may be carried intopractice, and in which a tumbler constructedin accordance with thatprinciple may beeppledltq locks.

In the accompanying' drawings, Figure l is a perspective view, showingone method of 5o applying my invention to padlocks. Fig. 2 is a sideview of a notched key adapted to allow lugs arranged as shown upon thctumbler to pass through the key. Fig. 3 showslny invention applied to anight-latch of simple construction. Fig. 4 is a face view of a tumbler,showing a single lug or projection differently disposed from those shownin Fig. l, and a perforated key adapted foruse with a tumbler of theform shown inthis figure. 6o

.Referring to Fig. 1, A shows the hasp or shackle of the padlock,provided with a catch, x, upon its end, adapted to engage with and t.,be locked by a hook or latch, c, upon the end ot' or carried by thetumbler M, the latter con- 65 sisting in the present case of a pivotcdpiece pivotedV upon a stud in the casing and provided with lugs orprojections d d d, disposed at dit ferent distances from its end. Ashere shown, the lugs or projections extend from the edge 7o of thetumbler partially across its face, the two extreme projections startingfrom the up per and the intermediate one from the lower edge.

The key B is correspondingly notched, as shown in Fig. 2. A spring forcausing the hook or catch upon the tumbler to engage 'with the hasp isindicated atj'. The key is inserted through a slot at the bottom of thecase, and is guided so that its end will impinge against 8o aprojection, h, upon the pivotedtumblerand swing or propel the sameagainst the action of the spring so as to unlock the hasp. At the sametime the lugs are propelled toward the side of the key and enter or passthe openings upon the key.

Should an improper]y-constructed key be inserted, one or more of thelugs or projections will come into contact with the key and stop themovement ofthe tumbler and the key be- 9o fore the hasp is unlocked.

As will be observed, the lugs or project-ions extend across the facebeyond the medial line, so as to overlap one another and prevent theinsertion of a. small wire. v 9 5 lIt is obvious that the lugs may bedisposed in very many ways, both with regard to the length and tothenwidth of the tumbler, and

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that they may be variously`shaped.

Many modifications in this respect will readily suggest themselves, andvas many lugs or projections may be used as is deemed desirable.

The application of the device toa night-latch will be readily'understood from Fig. 3. The

key is here represented as inserted and the i bolt or latch H withdrawn.As here shown, the tumbler is connected with the latch by means ot' apin', P, upon the latch and a slot in the tumbler M. The key moves thelatch and tumbler simultaneously.

I do not desire to limit myself to any particular form or dispositionot' the lugs or pro,- jeetions, or to any particular form of or methodof mounting the part to which they are attached, as it is obviouslywithin the scope of the invention to vary these particulars in manyways, so long as the parts are so arrangedthat the key, properlyslotted, recessed, or perlorated, propels or moves the lugs orprojections upon the tumbler so as to cause them to pass or avoid thekey; nor do I limit myself to any particular form ot the immediatelocking or unlocking devices which detainthe bolt or mechanism and arecontrolled by the tumbler, as there are very many ways of employing suchdevices in conjunction with a tumbler, and my invention lies Wholly inthe tumbler immunitarie-tumult t Y c c and key combined as herein setforth. 1 have shown two ways of using a tumbler and key constructed inaccordance with this principle; 35

but many others may be employed without departingfrom the spirit ot'theiuvention. By thev use of a single tumbler provided with amultiplicity of lugs or projections l attain all the security that is atpresent attained by the em- 4,0--

ployment ofa number of separate tumblers.

What I claim is Y 1. The combination,` substantially as described, of atumbler provided with one or more lugs or projections andl akeysuitablyq HARVEY C. ALDRICH.

Witnesses:

.W. S. DEARDEN, C. A. BYRNE.

